


The Best Part

by VinVictory



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst?, Character Death, Confused Bisexual Lance, Gay Keith, M/M, My science in this is a hundred percent made up junk, Season 2 references I guess?, Transforming Keith to Galra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2018-09-22 10:56:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9604943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VinVictory/pseuds/VinVictory
Summary: "I'm sorry." He said through sobs."Lance. . .""I'm so so sorry. . ."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story comes in two parts. This has been in my head for a long time and I need to write it down. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> UPDATE: Hey guys! Turns out, it comes in three parts hehe. I think the concept of the story is pretty obvious? I think? Just, please have fun :-)
> 
> This is previously tittled as "The Camaraderie".
> 
> ANOTHER UPDATE: Yeah, not three parts XD

"For the record, this is all Keith's fault."

Lance said through their coms as he pilots Blue forward, weaving through the laser beams that the Galra soldiers aim at them. Sweat rolls slowly down to his brow and he wipes it off with the back of his gloved hand.

"How is this my fault!? You're the one who got us into this m--oof!"

He hears Keith's grunt and he sees the Red Lion get toss over to the other side by a strong Galran blast. There was static on the other end when Keith took the hit.

Shiro speaks up, "Keith, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Keith." Lance cuts in with a mocking tone, not a hint of concern present in his voice. "Are you okay? Is one hit enough to put you down?"

"I'll be fine once I strangle the life out of you." The Red Paladin snaps.

"Uh, guys." Hunk's panicked voice drifted through the coms. "I think now's the time to help Yellow destroy those laser canons. Yellow may take a handful of hits, but we took so much that there's bound to be a system error and may cause my Lion to shut down!"

Lance grunts and was about to say something when a video feed popped up from his dashboard, and Allura's face came into view.

"Hunk is right. You need to focus Paladins, or else we'll have much more difficulty getting out of the Galra's hands this time. We cannot risk losing Voltron." 

"Princess, I think it's best if we do a wormhole jump. There are too many fleets in one place!" Pidge shouts before taking another hit on her own Lion, earning a loud groan. Pidge shouts again, voice full of iritation. "If Lance and Keith would've just stayed put and didn't put out their Lions for a stupid race--!"

"Hey! I said it was Keith's fault. Don't bring me into this!"

"It's not my fault, it's yours! If you hadn't asked for that stupid race, none of us would even be here!"

"Okay, enough!" Shiro cuts in. "None of us are happy to be in this situation and now's not the time to be blaming one another. What we should do now is to go back to the castle and into our hangars and get ready for the wormhole jump. We'll fall back for now."

Wordlessly, they all oblige and soon, they are in the safety of the castle. Outside, a wormhole had open up and they enter it smoothly, as if the Galra aren't shooting at them anymore when they practically still are.

After they got out of the wormhole, they witness a beautiful scenery where the vast space is dotted everywhere with suspended blue green crystals that reflects some light from the nearby stars. They briefly study this for a moment then they all took off their helmets and headed towards the control room, Lance and Keith ready for a "fun time" lecture, as Pidge would like to put it. 

When they got to the control room, Coran is typing something on the screen in the control panel while Allura is studying a map on her own screen, a finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression. Lance expects her to glare at him and scold him for a good one hour like a mom would do. Instead, she turns around with the same look, void of anger, irritation or anything Lance can tell if she's mad.

"It appears that our previous location was nearby a Galra Base Unit which explains why there were so many of them. Though I can't quite understand why we weren't spotted by them earlier. Did they not know that we were the ones inside the castle?"

"I doubt that," Hunk says. "I think the whole Galra Empire knows an Altean Ship once they see one."

"But how come they didn't attack before Lance and Keith went out with their Lions? Perhaps, in some way, we weren't in their radar. How?"

Coran turns to face the group, "Princess, they weren't in our own radar before the attack happened. That is truly dangerous! Like, uh, like an Altean Baby saying quiznak!"

Lance raises an eyebrow.

"Hmmm," Pidge hums in thought. "Maybe we weren't spotted because of some weather patterns blocking our heat signatures from nearby sources. Like planets and such. The place was pretty much surrounded by peculiar globes. The main ships are probably affected, therefore the Galra didn't attack because they don't see any real threat, and we didn't leave sooner because we had no idea they were even there!"

"Brilliant deduction, Pidge." Shiro smiles.

"If that is true, then that location is a good advantage, atleast for the ship's heat signature to be hidden. We can hide for as long as we want." Alurra returns to her screen and swipes at it for a good minute.

"I think it's a good advantage." Keith said, arms folded across his chest. "But the idea of being right under the Galra's nose if our heat signature was somehow spotted? Or if they were right under ours? I wouldn't take a good advantage with a bad one."

"Oh, great. The mullet's talking." Lance says as he glares at Keith, but the Red Paladin ignores.

"Keith is right, Princess." Hunk nervously cuts in. "Plus, I am very uncomfortable with the thought of sleeping next to a Galra Base Unit with a lot of purple furry alien's that can attack us. Like, any time they can attack us and mush our brains out, or imprison us for their expirements, or both!"

"Hunk." Lance says, hands up as to say he should calm down. "Relax, it's just a thought. Breathe in, breathe out."

Hunk obliges and his breath evens out. "Thanks."

"No problem. Always helpin' people in need. Especially the laaaaaddddiiiieeeessss."

The whole group groans, even Allura did. She turns around to face them again. "I am well aware of the danger. But maybe we can go back and harness a fragment from those sources making us hidden, then we can place them here in the castle's system to our advantage."

"Too dangerous," Shiro shakes his head. "Like you said, we can't lose Voltron. You saw how many of them they are. Is it really worth it?"

Pidge clears her throat and everyone's attention was given to her. "I mean, Shiro's right but what's the difference? We always come across Galra ships. Having that advantage can finally give us the upper hand. Though we can't use our Lions because it'll compromise the ship's location for the time being, we can still have a peaceful environment for as long as we want to take a breath after a battle, or while planning our next move. I mean, wouldn't that be great?'

"I'm with Pidge on that one." Lance speaks up after a moment of silence. "I think I could use the break. I hate having to peel my face mask off everytime the Galra spots us."

"There are innocent people under the Galra's hands," Keith snaps. "And all you care about is your stupid face?!"

"Hey, I got a skin care routine going on for almost a year and look how my face is now. It's beautiful so don't you dare call it stupid!"

"I hope your face can help Voltron in saving the universe."

"All I'm saying is that fighting Galra isn't all that fun and it can easily stress me over so I run to my face mask, husky. I can give you some if that's what you're upset about."

Keith grits his teeth, "I don't want any."

"You sure? You look like you could use it on your sour visage."

"I wonder if that face mask can peel your whole face off."

"Try me, mullet! I'll peel your whole head off!"

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Shiro's voice booms and everyone grew very, very quiet. "Lance, Keith, we don't know what's going on between the two of you, but your arguements are getting out of hand and it's affecting the whole team. Either you two get along, or we make the risk of getting Voltron into the Galra hands bigger everytime we have to fight them. Do I make myself clear?"

Both boys look away and mumbles their agreement.

"I can't hear you."

Lance grunts a "Sure, whatever." Keith sighs with a "yes, sir."

"Good."

"Everybody should take a rest," said Allura, not facing them anymore. "I'm sure all these stress will seep out once everybody has, as you earthlings have called it, a good night's sleep."

They nod and soon, they were all out of the control room. Hunk went into the kitchen to grab a snack before bed, Pidge went off to the Green Lion's hangar, not planning to go to sleep; Shiro and Keith went off to their respective rooms, and Lance was left to his own devices. 

He decides that he should go to his room and try to get some sleep. For the longest of moments, he just lie there on his bed and mulled over the events from earlier. Before the attack happened, he was all worked up mainly because he was talking to Keith. Why does that make him so worked up? He wish he knew.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lance asked the raven-haired paladin as the boy enters in Lance's hangar, the Blue Lion standing in the middle of the room.

"Allura told me to do a check in the hangars. What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing."

Keith raised an eyebrow and Lance has to brush the thought that Keith has beautiful thick eyebrows and how cute he looks. The Red Paladin didn't say a word about it and saunters around the room instead. Lance doesn't know what to do with his hands so he settles on typing key pads that's in the front of the room. The air feels so awkward. He wonders if Keith feels it too.

Why is his presence making him feel so uncomfortable? His heart is racing incredibly fast in his chest and his palms begins to sweat. Lance knew one thing for certain, and that's the fact that he has to kick Keith out or he has to leave himself. Of course, this was Lance so he'll say that he was here first and why would he leave just because of a mulleted-man walking in circles.

"How long does it take for you to check a hangar? Just hurry up and get out of here."

"Why?" Keith stops inspecting a fuse box in the wall in favor of looking at Lance. "It's not like you're doing something important. Do you want me to leave so you can go back in doing nothing?"

"It's not like I'm doing something now that you're here."

"Yes, you are." He goes back in inspecting the fuse box. "Right now, you're talking to me."

"Oh, haha." Lance rolls his eyes, features oozing of sarcasm. "Hooray for mullet."

"Why do you keep on calling me that? I told you, it's not a mullet. It just grows that way."

"Like a mullet."

Keith groans, "Just let me finish this and I'll be on my merry way."

"After like, what? After forever? You know, for a guy who pilots the fastest Lion in the team, you're really slow."

"Well, you can't rush things. One error in this baby," Keith gently pats the fuse box with one hand, the other occupied with a wire. "And your hangar can blow up. Next, the whole castle."

"Don't exaggerate." Lance snaps as he tries to hide the blush on his cheeks when he heard Keith say "baby". "Still, you're so slow that I bet I can beat you in a race with our Lions."

Keith scoffs, "Not in a lifetime. You won't stand a chance against Red. Plus, I know for certain that you can't out run a snail at this point."

"I said don't exaggerate! And I so can beat you in a race! Let's go now so I can prove it."

"You mean we should go out?"

Lance blushes and Keith realizes what he just said. "G-go out as in out at space? That's dangerous."

"Oh, please. You're just scared you might lose against me and Blue, aren't you?"

Keith wips his head towards Lance, "I'm not scared."

"Prove it!"

The Red Paladin slams the fuse box shut and spins on his heels to face Lance. "Fine! I'll show you."

Excitement bubbles up in Lance's throat in the thought of flying his lion with just Keith and only Keith. It's making him confused. There are these feelings that he can't quite understand, but he kind of likes it. There's so much fondness with it. It makes his heart flutter in glee. 

That is, before the Galra showed up.

Lance rolls onto his side on his bed as he snaps out of his reverie. He doesn't understand these feelings that he can only feel around Keith, of all people, Keith. He frowns and clutches his pillow tightly. He blames it all on Voltron and how they have to connect to their teammates that he came to actually like Keith as his teammate and not just some rival he thinks he should always win against. He nods. Yeah, it's gotta be because of the whole forming Voltron jazz going on that he has these feelings toward him.

After a good five minutes of tossing and turning, Lance decides that he can't sleep, not with Keith plaguing his thoughts. He swings his legs to the side of the bed and sits up, stretching his hands above his head before he gets up and leave. 

Though there's no way in telling the time, Lance is certain that everyone is asleep by now. Well, everyone except for Pidge. He knows that the genious gremlin is always typing away on her laptop that she forgets that it's a must to get some shut eye every once in a while. The Blue Paladin debated whether to go and visit Pidge at her work place or get some midnight snack—or whatever time it is here in space. He takes the latter.

He walks through the dim halls, in which Coran had altered the ship's system lightings to mimic Earth time for the Paladins to keep track on. Lance finally reaches the entrance to the kitchen and he almost jumps in surprise when he sees a hunched figure sitting on the counter top. Since the lights were off, the figure is sillhouted by the light from the window beside him; the light of the stars casting a serene glow on the figure's skin. Beautiful, angelic. 

It's Keith.

Keith is just sitting there with his legs pulled close to his chest and arms wrapped around them. Lance considers to flash the lights open and surprise him, but he freezes when he saw the look on the raven-haired pilot's face. He looks so. . .sorrowful, depressed, broken, and vulnerable. His eyes downcast and brows slighty pinched, eyes glassy as if he'd been crying. It's weird seeing him like this. It feels like he's intruding on something private between Keith and his inner self. Lance can feel his heart being crushed in little pieces at the sight. He wants Keith to not look so burdened and give him his good old cute, genuine smile. He wants to just run towards him, grab him by the arms and shake him out of whatever it is that's making him like this. Instead, he just stands there, watching him in silence.

Lance jumps when Keith speaks after a long moment of what seems like forever.

". . .Make fun of me all you want, I don't care. . ." 

Lance flinched at the vulnerability of his voice. He hesitates before he slowly enters the kitchen and towards Keith. He leans his back against the side of the counter right next to him. 

"Who said I was gonna?" Lance hesitates, then "What's got your mullet in a twist?"

Keith doesn't say anything and they stay like that for a long time until, finally, Lance speaks up.

"I'm sorry, really."

"About what?" Keith asks, eyes still not looking up to meet Lance's.

"About earlier. The Galra attacked us because of me and it almost got you hurt and I hate it when I always get everybody else in trouble or in danger and I always hate myself for being this way but that's how I really just cope with things like this whole saving the universe thing and dying any second and I just want to go home because I miss my mom, my dad, my sisters, my brothers and my lovable cats that I named one as Cutsey because, you know, he's cute and I really miss hugging him and—"

Lance takes a deep breath. Wow, he said that without taking breaths. He glances at Keith who hasn't move, face still at the same position but his eyes were on him. Lance quickly looks away and huffs. "I-I-sorry."

They fall into another long silence until Keith moves his head to look at Lance. 

"I'm just thinking about where I'll be going once this is all over. You know, if we managed to defeat Zarkon and if we're still alive."

"What are you talking about?" Lance asks, confused. "You still have us once we go back to Earth. And I'm sure your family misses you alot, right?"

Keith pauses and Lance can feel the tense air. "Did I say something wrong?"

He sighs, "Let's just hope that what you said was true, wherever they are."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

". . .I-It's. . .it's because. . .uh. They're. . ."

"They're?"

"Gone."

"Oh."

They fall into a very awkward silence. Lance keeps on staring on the floor while Keith dangles his legs on the edge of the counter top. The brunette takes a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"You don't have to say sorry. That happened a long time ago. Things are different now. " He pauses, "Also, about the Galra attack? You don't have to say sorry about that either. It's nice to have a race once in a while."

"You know, minus the Galra."

"Minus the Galra."

They both chuckle and it dies abruptly. 

"Anyway, I need to get my beauty sleep and hanging out with a mulleted man could be dangerous to my health."

Annndddd, they're back.

Keith snorts, " Why?"

"You might have lice for all we know. Under all that thick mullet? There's bound to be some micro-organisms living there."

"Huh, I'm impressed. You can actually say "micro-organisms"."

"I'm not retarded."

"You make it seem like it."

"Oh please! I—"

 

The alarms went off.

Appalled, he quickly shot out of his spot next to the counter and dashes out of the door, Keith already ahead of him. When they got out, Shiro is already running towards the control room. They follow pursuit as the alarms get a pitch louder.

"What's going on?!" Hunk asks in panic as he enters the control room where Allura is standing on her usual spot in its center and Coran hovering over the control panel. Pidge enters aswell along with Keith, Shiro and Lance.

"The Galra sentries in a nearby planet has found us." Allura shouts over the alarms. "And from the looks of it, there are a lot of them. There are ships heading our way."

"Alright," Shiro says. "Everyone, get to their lions."

Allura wasn't wrong when she said they were many of them. Hell, she should get an award for being so honest that it just hurts everybody—if that even made any sense. Lance uses his Lion's Ice power to freeze a number of sentries but that wasn't enough, not by an inch. The battle was intense; lots of grunts when they get hit, lots of spinning and weaving, and—wow, there are really many of them. 

Out of nowhere, a Galra ship has emerge amongst them and their Ion canon has been aimed at their lions. Specifically at Keith's. Lance's eyes widens and he pushes his controls forward, charging for the Red Lion. 

"Keith!" He shouts, half-way where he is but he knows for certain that he won't make it because the canon is lighting up in a ball of massive purple energy and has open-fired directly at the Red Lion. The lion gets hit and Keith's cry of pain echoes through their coms, making Lance wince. After the purple light is gone, the Red Lion short-circuted and the yellow lights from its eyes goes off and suddenly, the Red Lion is falling.

"Keith!" Shiro shouts while he dodged the laser beams from the sentries. "Keith, are you okay?!"

Nothing.

"Keith?!" Hunk shouts. "Keith, are you there?!"

"He's crash landing towards a planet down below," Pidge says then grunts as she takes a hit. "The signal from his coms are coming off as just static noises. Guys, I think his helmet is busted."

"I'll go after him," Lance says as he nose dives towards the Red Lion that has already entered the planet's atmosphere and is burning as it goes through it.

"You won't make it," Shiro says. "By the time you catch up to him, he's already crashed. Just make sure he's okay when you land on the planet. Be careful, Lance."

Lance tightly grips his controls, dread washing over him. What if Keith is dead? What if he'll never get to see his cute angry face again? What if he'll never get to hear his beautiful voice again? Lance shakes his head. Why is he even thinking about him that way? He's his rival and if he dies, so is Lance's fun. Who will he annoy by then? Who will motivate him to win and thrive more? Why is he feeling this?

Unless. . .

Lance pushes even faster, now breaching the planet's surface. Realization dawns over him and he's not at all surprised by it. The fact that all this time he may have been crushing on Keith, the fact that he's been hiding it under all of his snarky remarks and name calling, the fact that he can't take his eyes off that beautiful paladin, and the fact that he truly cares about him especially after the intimate moment they shared earlier?

He loves Keith.

Lance blinks and darts his eyes towards the Red Lion which has now crashed on the black surface of the planet. His eyes widens when he sees a Base Unit of the Galra Empire. Several Galra Soldiers has already planted themselves next to the Red Lion, probably preparing to import it to their base. The Blue Paladin grits his teeth and activates his lion's cloaking device in which Pidge has modified in her spare time aswell as the other lions. He nose dives and picks up the Red Lion with Blue's jaw and darts away, leaving the Galra soldiers shocked and frozen. 

"Keith? You alright buddy?" Static only answers him on the other line. "Don't worry. I'm getting you out of here."

They break out if the foreign planet and the others are still fighting the Galra sentries. 

"You guys made it!" Pidge beams. "Now we can get back into the castle and fucking bail!"

"Language!" Says Shiro.

"I second that!" Hunk yells. "You know, going to the castle? Let's do that now. C'mon, let's go! Let's go before we become Galra dinner!"

"Hold up speedy!" Lance grunts as he weaves both Lions from getting hit with an Ion canon. "It's not exactly easy to manuever two lions at once. Mullet head is a lot heavier than I thought he would be."

Static greets him on Keith's end of the intercom.

Shiro notices it, "Oh, no. Keith might be unconscious. We need to go back to the castle and get out of here."

Everyone dashes towards the castle, dodging Galra lazers and canons. They managed to make it in one piece. The castle's door closed as soon as they got into their hangars.

"Allura, hit it!" Pidge shouts.

A wormhole opens and they went through it. Soon, they got out into a vast sea full of nebulas. With colors of purple, pink, white, blue and red. Lance doesn't take the time to mezmirize over this because he immediatly ran towards the Red Lion, hand occupied with a first aid-Kit. He forces the doors open to the cockpit and he drops the first-aid kit when he looks at the seat.

"Lance," Shiro says through their coms. "Are you checking up on Keith? How is he?"

"Uh. . " Lance swallows the dry lump in his throat. "I'm in the Red Lion now and. . ."

"Lance?" Hunk prods.

"H-he's not. . .he's not here."

Shiro is quick to react, "What do you mean?"

"He's. . .gone. The seat, it's empty."

Silence.

Pidge's voice is filled with dread, "Oh, no. The Galra, they took him."

Lance slams his fist down on the dashboard. He can't believe that he let them slip away with Keith in their custody. He should've checked if he was even there. He's grateful that he didn't attacked the Base Unit. Keith could be there. He is there.

"We need to go back." Lance says, then leaves.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Part 2 ! Supposedly this is the last one but i find that it wont fit cause it's too long . Can u believe i accidentally deleted the first chapter 2 draft i did? Hahaha i have to make a new one hence this is the result. Enjoy! :-)

"Okay, here's the plan." Shiro starts, hands on hips as he firmly stands in the middle of the control room, catching the attentions of everyone present. "We all go to the Green Lion and use its cloaking device so we won't attract the attention of the Galra. Once we land, Pidge will hide the Green Lion and we all sneak in together, grab a Galra soldier and ask where Keith is, get Keith, and we get out of there." 

Hunk nervously chuckles. "That's a nice plan, but, uh, you're forgetting about the part where we have to fight evil purple cat-aliens if we get caught. And I don't like the idea being Galra dinner! I am not really tasty."

"I'm not in the mood to be Galra dinner." Pidge says as she adjusts her glasses.

"Well, Keith will be Galra dinner if we don't get him out of there." All eyes landed on the source of the surprisingly serious voice. There he stands, helmet on one hip and a hand on the other, face bold and set with determination. Lance narrows his eyes at everybody. "Every minute we stand around here, the higher the difficulty we'll have in searching Keith."

"Wow." Pidge widens her eyes. "I never expected to hear this from you. I thought you and Keith hated each other?"

"Look, this team is like a family to me, and Keith happens to be in it. If anything ever happens to him. . ." Lance clutches his hand on his helmet which goes unnoticed. Shiro steps forward and places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Lance. As long as we follow the plan, we'll be able to get Keith out in no effort."

"Paladins," Allura faces them from a screen she was previously tapping commands on. "Be cautious and deliberate. Do not act irrational no matter what happens. Remember, we are putting the fate of the universe in jeopardy in initiating this mission to save Keith. We are, afterall, diving in to one of the Empire's Base Unit and who knows what might happen to either one of you paladins of Voltron. If the plan didn't go well as we hoped, Coran and I will swoop down with the ship to help you. Just be careful." Allura faces the Blue paladin. "And Lance, go and bring Keith back."

Lance sets his jaw in utter determination, then nods his head. "I will."

"Then that's settled." Shiro says. "We should go now."

All four paladins turn towards the exit when suddenly, Coran shouts. "Ooh! One reminder! The planet has steam patches which realease hot high air pressure. So if you happen to step on one, you'll fly right up into the air! Ooh-oh! We wouldn't want that now, do we?"

Hunk gulps, "uh, deadly steam patches?"

Pidge smirks as she taps Hunk's back. "Don't worry, it'll just be like farting in an incredible high force that can send you flying into the air."

They went through the metal doors and left.

-

Lance puts one goal in his mind and that's saving Keith. The raiven-haired pilot with beautiful navy eyes, with skin as pale as the snow, with beauty like the stars twinkling in the night and, and-goddess, he is so in love with him. He's in too deep that his heart aches every second his eyes cannot see Keith, every second his ears cannot hear his voice, every second he cannot smell his sweet scent, and every second he cannot talk to him. He feels miserable. With that in mind, he's mind is set on fire with that particular goal, and by the time he accomplishes it, he'll make sure to hug the emo boy tight. The boy whom he saw so vulnerable, the boy whom got in his nerves and the boy whom he loves so much.

But now? He wishes he never accomplished that goal. He wishes that they'd never found him, that they'd never found Keith. He wishes that he was dead. That would be far more bearable than this situation in front of them.

"K-keith?"

Hell, he wishes they've never met.

"I-is that you?"

He wishes they've never met at all.

 

"Watch your step guys! Deadly steam patches might be the one that'll blow our cover so I suggest—mmph!"

Hunk nervously says before Pidge smacks her hand to his mouth and raising a finger from the other to her thin lips. "Sshhhh!!" She proceeds with a whisper. "You might be the one who'll blow up our cover if you don't shut your mouth!"

"Mmpsrrymmph" He tries to say around Pidge's hand. When she was sure he wasn't planning in talking again, she slowly removes her hand. They both sleath into a small hidden entance on the building and they find Lance and Shiro ahead of them. Pidge raises and eyebrow,"Anyone in sight?"

Shiro crouches down against the wall they're hiding behind. "Not yet. We'll have to wait a little longer. This is a big Base Unit so there's bound to be Galra Soldiers coming and going around these halls."

"But we gotta move quick." Lance furrows his brows at Shiro. "We can't just sit here and Keith is somewhere in this building with the Galra doing things to him by who knows what!"

"You don't think I know that?" Shiro sneers unintentionally causing Lance to flinch. The Black Paladin grimaces in frustration along with a mix of guilt. "Sorry, just—we need to be patient if we're gonna get through this together, okay?"

"Paladins," Allura's voice rips through their comms. "Do you know Keith's location?"

"Not yet." Hunk answers and mumbles "Though I hope we know so we can get outta here."

"Once we get a Galra soldier, we'll be able to get some answers." Shiro says.

"Or, we should've given the plan more of thought." Pidge chimes in, a glimmer in her eyes. "I think we have a way to get some answers without tackling a purple cat."

"Well, what is it?" Lance says in irritation though trying to be patient as Shiro asked him to be. "I feel like a sitting duck waiting to be fed of bread."

"What is your plan, Pidge?" Allura asks.

"The plan? We do it the "Pidge way"." She smirks as she stands up from her crouched position. "We have to dig further into the building and find a control room where I can access the Base Unit's system and hack it and then maybe I can get Keith's location."

"Maybe." Lance grits his teeth in annoyance.

"Excellent, Pidge." Shiro smiles but it quickly fades. "But how will we ever find the control room in this large building? We could take forever."

"That's why we have to split up."

"Split up?!" Hunk jumps up in panic, remembering to keep his voice down. "Guys, that's not part of the plan. I did not agree to this."

Shiro removes his helmet then wrinkles his eyebrows together in desperateness and worry, "Well, what else can we do?"

Even Allura was silent, clearly surprised to hear Shiro's pleading voice. 

Lance can't believe what he's seeing. Their leader who he looks up to is now feeling uneasy and unsure about the whole situation when normally he's the one that's the firm infrastructure that holds them all up. Why is he like this now?

Lance raises his eyebrows, "You're not sure if we're ever going to find him, are you?"

Everyone grew silent, eyeing the Black Paladin whose eyes are wide in anxiety and shock.

"I never said that," he gulps. "Like I said, we'll find him as long as we go through the plan."

"What is the plan?" Hunks asks, still in panic.

Shiro runs a hand through his hair, "Just. . ." He presses a palm against his face as he left the sentence unfinished.

And Lance's shoulders sags. If Shiro thinks they won't be able to find Keith, then who was he to even hope or even think they would?

"Just," Shiro abruptly stands up, takes a deep breath and puts his helmet back on, puffing out his chest with new found confidence, face back on the seriousness Lance has always been accustomed to. Now that's the Shiro he knows. "Just stay focused on the mission in front of us. Hunk, Lance, both of you will stay on low ground while Pidge and I go find the control room. We should be able to get in control of one of the Base's maps or whatever junk in order to find where Keith is. Once we do, we'll tell you where it is."

"I can hack into the system in no jiffy. Finding the control room and getting past the Galra is what'll slow us down."

"The earlier we start the better." Shiro says. "We split up on my signal." 

The Black Paladin presses his back against the wall and peers over it when a hand taps lightly on his shoulder.

"Shiro." Lance whispers. "I understand why you feel unsure. Keith means a lot to you, probably more than I do. And you were probably scared that you won't see him again. But don't worry." He flashes a grin. "Sharp shooter will bring that greasy mullet boy back."

He wishes they've never met. He wishes he was dead. 

"K-keith?"

He wishes they haven't found him at all.

 

Shiro sighs, "Yeah, I was. Thanks." 

When he's sure there's no sign of any Galra, he counts to three with his fingers and by the time he hits three, the two pairs run on oppossite hallways.

 

"Okay, where are we going?" Hunk asks as they silently jog in the empty hallways bathed in purple light. Lance abruptly stops when he hears a number of footsteps clattering on the floor.

Galra soldiers. And a lot of them.

Hunk bumps at Lance's back at the sudden halt and hears the same thing. He looks at the lanky boy with wide eyes and grabs his arm, "We gotta hide!"

They run off to another corridor that was dark enough for cover. They pressed their backs againt the wall and crouched down for added measure. 

Hunk whispers into his comm, "Shiro, Pidge. There's a large group alien cat headed your way. Like, a lot of them."

He hears Pidge groans, "Oh, now they showed up."

"Hey," Lance whispers to Hunk. "This is our chance,"

"Chance to what?" Hunk's eyes widen. "Lance, I am not gonna kiss you!"

"No, you idiot! This our chance to stick to the original plan."

"What plan?"

"The plan?!" He flails his hands. "Get a Galra soldier and ask him for questions?" 

Hunk gasps lightly, "Lance, goddess, no, no, no, no, no! Are you crazy?! What Shiro had in mind is that we can tackle a soldier if it were only one of them, not a large number of them!"

"Come on! Don't you want to know where Keith is and get out of here?"

"Yes, yes, yes, I would. But Shiro and Pidge—"

"They'll be fine if we do this successfully. Back me up on this one, huh?"

Hunk bites his lip for a moment, then "I'm sorry, Lance. But Shiro specifically said that we should wait for their signal."

Lance hisses at him. "Hunk."

"Lance."

The soldiers are coming closer, each footstep getting louder and louder.

Lance repeats through grit teeth, "Hunk."

"Lance." And for the first time, Hunk scowls in annoyance. "I'm serious. We could get compromised."

The soldiers are now passing their hallway and the two boys further pressed their backs against the wall in fear that they would get caught. Hunk, however, is eyeing Lance, staring at him if he would dare to reached out and grab a Galra soldier.

And damn, he did.

But before Lance could even lift his arm, stand up and step away from the wall, Hunk instinctively wraps a bulky arm around Lance's chest to restrain him from moving and places a hand on Lance's mouth. The latter tries to break free through the larger man's grip but sees that he cannot so he gave up and went limp in his arms as he helplessly watch the incredible amount of Galra pass by, oblivious of their presence. When the sound of their footsteps are far gone, Hunk lets go of Lance and sighs in relief.

"Shiro, did you guys find the control room yet?"

"Yeah." Shiro replies, out of breath. "But we met some resistance along the way. Are the group of soldiers gone? Are you guys okay?"

"Thankfully," he says as he glares at Lance who glares back. "Pidge hacking the system?"

"Yep." Pidge says. "Give me a few seconds and I'll be able to—oh, never mind. I got it!"

Lance scrambles to stand up. "Tell me the location!"

"I've looked into the prisoner's records, the people they've taken in recently and the latest one has been. . ."

"Has been what?!" Lance screeches, making Hunk jump up in surprise and tell him to be quiet.

"Has been three hours ago."

Oh, goddess.

It's been three hours since they lost Keith?

"Oh, no." Hunk mutters.

"P-Pidge," Lance starts with a shaky breath. "The location?"

"Right. I see your heat signatures on my screen pad and from your location, turn to your left and run three corridors from there.

Both boys moves into action, swerving to the corner where the group of Galra has passed by.

"YOUR OTHER LEFT!"

Both boys freeze and Hunk mutters a sheepish "Oh".

"Let's go!" Lance grabs his arm and yanks him to the indicated direcrion. After three corridors, they stop.

"What's next Pidge?" Lance asks.

"Uh, t-turn right!" 

They did as they were told. 

"No, left!" 

They obliged. 

"No, sorry, right!"

"Pidge!" Hunk yelps.

"Sorry! It's just there are Galra here and Shiro needs terrible help and I am doing the best I can to multi-task—GALRA!"

Lance pushes Hunk aside as lasers shot through above their heads. Lance activated his bayard and shoots back behind a wall they're hiding behind. 

"Yup," Hunk activates his bayard aswell. "Totally Galra Dinner."

Pidge's voice rips through their comms. "Lance, Hunk! Listen to this because we have to leave the control room. Keith's imprisoned just at your right and that's four corridors down! His door is numbered as 14456. We have to go!"

"Lance!" Hunk shouts above the sound of gun fire. "Go get Keith! I'll cover you!"

"What!? No!"

"I can handle them. Plus, Shiro and Pidge are most definitelty on their way. So just, GO!"

Hunk pushes him and that's enough to get Lance running down the corridors to see his loved one, the one his heart has been aching for.

He stops when he sees a lot of cell doors. He shivers at the thought of just how many of them are imprisoned there. Lance runs through numerous cells with different numbers until he finds the door with "14456". Or did Pidge said 14465?

Fuck it.

He kicks the door down, bayard at his side with a smile on his face.

"Keith!"

He tries to see through the darkness of the room. He squints at the familiar figure that's hunched and shaking in fear.

"K-Keith? Is that you?"

The figure stops shaking and sits up straight. "Lance?!"

He smiles. "Keith! Let's get you out of here."

He takes a step forward.

"Don't come near me!"

He freezes.

"K-Keith?"

"Don't come any closer." Keith growls, almost inhumanly, almost like an animal.

"Keith, we came here to rescue you."

"I'm not going back, Lance."

He drops his hand holding his bayard to his side. "Why?"

"I can't."

Lance frowns, "Listen, greasy mullet head! We didn't risk our asses to find you only to—"

"DON'T YOU GET IT LANCE?!' Keith jumps up and turns around and Lance's first instinct was to point his bayard at him because holy crap!

Keith's once beautiful navy eyes are now wide and yellow, omniously glowing in the dark, pale skin now purple and he has large ears as a feline would have. 

He wishes he was dead.

"YOU DON'T GET IT!"

"What have you done to Keith?!"

He wishes they hadn't found him.

"They turned me into this Lance!"

Lance pales, "No."

He wishes they've never met.

"I can't go back, Lance. Not when I'm one of their own."

He deactivates his bayard, then takes a step forward.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Keith growls.

But Lance was stubborn.

He wraps his arms around Keith's furry body and tightly hugs him. The once pale boy stiffens in his embrace until he relaxes and sobs into his shoulder.

"Shh, shhh, shh." Lance whispers against his ear as he strokes his hair. "It's okay. We'll find a way to turn you back. Just come with me now, okay? Come back."

"I can't."

"You can."

"I said—"

"Sshhh. . ." Lance lets a tear roll down to his cheek. "You'll be fine."

He wishes he was dead. That would be far more better than the situation that's now infront of them.

"Everything's gonna be okay."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Keith?" Shiro asks and suddenly, Keith's head snaps up. His mouth opens wide as he growls and roars inhumanly, sharp set of teeth showing. Everyone's eyes widens in fright and takes a step back. Even Shiro looked terrified. Keith's claws comes out from his finger tips and he looks around the four of his friends. 
> 
> "Keith," Shiro puts both hands infront of him. "Calm down, it's alright. It's us, we're your friends. You remember?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for playing you like this, but somehow I ended up writing a chapter of this again. I read the previous chapters and it somehow made me want to write this. Probably because it's my first fic that isn't an au. So, I'm just gonna leave this here.*Runs away

"Ummm, hi?" Hunk says in an uncertain tone as he pokes Keith's purple cheek. The latter grunts in frustration. 

They're all inside the green lion perched behind a huge boulder, away from the Galra's line of sight. They miraculously made it out of the Base Unit before the galra soldiers got them surrounded. Now, Pidge, Hunk and Shiro are staring at this new found creature that looks like Keith, with Lance standing beside him, arms folded across his chest.

"How did you turn into...that?" Pidge asks, raising a curious eyebrow as she stares him up and down.

Keith doesn't say anything. He just stares down at the floor with his ominous glowing yellow eyes and crosses his arms against his bare furry torso. The only thing he's wearing now is the black garment from his suit which was ripped apart and now only served as his shorts.

"Keith?" Hunk prods as his brows pull together in concern. "We know what happened to you is very very bad - "

"Yeah, no kidding." Lance says.

"- but we're very worried about you." Hunk glares at Lance for making a comment. "So, if we could just know what happend, if there's a cure or whatso ever to this, we'll get it then leave. Easy as that."

Keith frowns.

"I don't think he knows if there's a cure." Pidge says. "Should we go back in and find out?"

"Too risky." Shiro replies quickly, eyes never peeling away from Keith. "You all saw how we almost got trapped in there. There is no way we're going back in."

"Are you saying that we're just gonna leave him like this?!" Lance throws his hands out to Keith. "What kind of person are you?! Aren't you supposed to be his closest friend or something?!"

"Of course I am. It's just...it's too dangerous."

"I don't care. We have to go back in there to demand the cure!"

"Lance," Hunk says as he steps forward and puts his hands between the two. "Shiro's right, it's too dangerous. We almost became galra dinner."

"Again with the galra dinner, Hunk!" Lance yells, then pulls his hair with both of his hands. 

"Calm down, Lance. I never said that we won't cure Keith. It's just that we can't go charging back in there after all that we've been through to get in and out." Shiro says with a calm yet firm voice as possible. "We have to know what happened first."

The leader looks back at Keith and everyone else falls into silence watching them carefully. Shiro starts, "Keith, I know what it's like to be captured by the galra...and I know what it must have felt like."

Keith's frown deepens, eyes still not meeting Shiro's. His nails digs into his arms as he begins to breathe heavily.

"I know you've been through a lot, but we really need to know what happened in order for us to help you."

They all wait for an answer, but it looks like he's not giving them one.

"Keith?" Shiro asks and suddenly, Keith's head snaps up. His mouth opens wide as he growls and roars inhumanly, sharp set of teeth showing. Everyone's eyes widens in fright and takes a step back. Even Shiro looked terrified. Keith's claws comes out from his finger tips and he looks around the four of his friends. 

"Keith," Shiro puts both hands infront of him. "Calm down, it's alright. It's us, we're your friends. You remember?"

The boy doesn't seem to hear what he had said as he wips both of his sharp- clawed hands at his direction. Everyone stumbles back with startled yelps. Hunk panicks and instinctively activates his bayard. He closes his eyes as he shouts and shoots all over the cockpit of the green lion, miraculously not hitting anyone of the paladins. Pidge drops down to the floor as Hunk still fires his cannon. 

When Hunk suddenly aims at the flailing galra, Lance shrieks and launches himself towards him and pushes the cannon up and away, shooting laser beams to the metal ceiling. Both boys fall down. While they were at it, Keith growls and charges toward Shiro, who yells not in shock, but out of horror. It grabs Hunk, Pidge and Lance's attention. They've never heard Shiro scream that way. The emotion was just too raw and pure of fright. Well, who wouldn't be when his dearest friend turns into a precarious purple alien cat and is trying to kill him by tearing him apart with his very very sharp claws?

"K-Keith!" He yells as he falls to the ground and Keith falls on top of him. Shiro grabs both of his arms so, you know, the guy won't kill him. "It's me! Shiro! Snap out of it!"

Keith roars at his face in reply and tries to get out of his grip to claw at him at his face. Shiro grits his teeth, then lets out a miserable grunt. 

"That's enough there, mullet!" Lance stands up and pulls Keith's arms behind his back, then pulls him away from Shiro. But damn, when did Keith get so strong?

Lance squaks as Keith easily gets out of his grip and this time, he was the one who's lying on floor, using all of his power to get Keith's claws away from his face. He screams in terror as he stares into the wide and yellow glowing eyes. 

This isn't the man he claims to love. He doesn't recognize him anymore.

Suddenly, a green rope tangles around Keith's body and he immediately gets electricuted. The boy grunts before going limp on the floor, tied in the green rope of Pidge's bayard.

"I never thought I'd have to use my bayard against my own teammate." Pidge says, brows pulled together in sorrow. "Sorry, bud. It's for your own good."

"What in heaven's sake's was that?!" Hunk yells in a panic voice, flailing his hands before him. "Did you see that?! Did you - did you - I mean, did you guys SEE that?! He, Keith, our friend - who somehow turned into a FREAKING purple cat with terrifying sharp teeth and sharp claws - goes berzerk and starts WAVING his hands and - !"

"We know, Hunk. We were there." Lance rolls his eyes.

"He tried to kill us." Hunk points at the passed out Keith on the far end of the cockpit. "I mean, he wanted to kill us! We can't trust him. What if he hurts Coran and the princess when we take him back?"

"He wouldn't do that." Shiro states as he slowly stands up from the floor. 

"Are you kidding me? Shiro, he almost tore your face and Lance's face into tini-tiny pieces!" Pidge argues, throwing her hands at his and at Lance's direction for added emphasis. "And you're saying that he wouldn't hurt Coran and Allura?"

"Keith wouldn't do that." Shiro says, eyes hard as he gives the three of them a hard look before his sight lands on Keith's thin form on the ground. "But this isn't Keith."

Silence fills the room, the air heavy from the weight of Shiro's words. 

"He's still Keith." Lance suddenly says. "Somewhere, deep down there, he's still Keith. So, we're gonna barge in back that Base Unit and get the cure for whatever they did to him."

"No." Shiro said, finality in his voice. "What we'll do is take him back to Allura and Coran. They'll know what to do. Hopefully. We'll...we'll tie him up or cage him so he won't try to hurt anyone of us."

"Cage him? Like an animal?" Pidge asks, concern strain in her voice. "Lance is right, Shiro. Keith still might be there - "

"Might?" Lance grits his teeth.

" - and I'm afraid he isn't gonna be happy once he finds out about being locked in a cage if he turns back to human."

"If?!" Lance throws his hands up in frustration. "Pidge, Keith IS still there and he WILL turn back to human. I'll be sure of it."

"I'm sorry. I hate him being bonded and caged, but we have to be cautious. He can't control himself, not when he's like this. He needs to be restrained." He walks towards Keith's body and crouches down. He brushes Keith's bangs away from his eyes by using his metal hand. "I know he doesn't deserve this, but if I'm sure he would've wanted it if we lock him up so he couldn't hurt us."

A silent agreement falls in place as everyone grows silent, pondering among themselves. Suddenly, the screen of the green lion beams red. Hunk, Shiro and Pidge immediately dash towards the control panel to see through the transparent window. Lance stays at the back with Keith. He carefully lifts his head and rests it upon his lap. Everything's fine now that Keith is here...but, he can't recognize him anymore. But he knows he's still in there.

Somewhere.

Pidge sits on her chair as Hunk and Shiro peer through the window, they can see galra ships heading towards their way over the large boulder they're hiding behind.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man! I don't wanna be galra dinner, I don't wanna be galra dinner!"

"We've been compromised." Shiro hisses. "Pidge, get us out of here."

"On it." She pulls the control gear, making her lion jerk backward, getting ready for take off. Except, it doesn't go all the way up. It freezes in mid air.

"Pidge?" Shiro asks.

"Uh, my lion freezed." She push and pulls her control gear, but nothing happened. "What's wrong girl? Why won't you move?"

"Pidge, we really need to go!" Hunk yelps as he bites his nails.

"Nothing's working!" Pidge hastily push and pulls again, and suddenly, they jerk forwards, meeting the galra ships half way.

"Piiiiidddgggee!!" Hunk, Shiro and Lance shrieks as they brace for impact in colliding with the ships. Out of nowhere, a blue laser beam runs through a number of ships they almost crashed with and they all exploded. Pidge immediatley flings the lion backwards and away from the galra.

"Paladins, are you alright?" Allura asks from a pop up screen on Pidge's dash board, showing a worried face. "Are any of you hurt? Have you successfully found Keith?"

"Princess Allura!" Hunk forces a smile as he wraps an arm around Shiro's shoulders, pulling him closer to him so she won't see the red paladin in the background. "Yes! None of us are clawed - I mean, torn apart - I mean-"

"Are you quite alright, Hunk?" Coran asks at another pop up screen at Pidge's left. The green paladin leans all the way so Coran won't see Keith. "You seem a little bit- what you earthlings call it? Tongue-tied?"

"We're all fine, Coran and Princess Allura." Shiro says with a straight face. "Yes, we've found Keith. Thank you for helping us, but we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"You're right. There are too many- argh!" Allura grunts as the video feed shakes a bit. 

"What happened?!" Hunk asks in panic.

Coran answers this time. "There's this device that they have which allows them to be able to stop an object from moving, hence the green lion staying in place earlier if we hadn't went down and - aufh!" Another hit and they can see that the castle is unable to move, there up on the sky of a foreign planet. 

"We need to do something." Shiro says under his breath as Pidge manuevers her lion from the shots the galra was giving.   
"Oh god, this is making me want to release gas." Hunk says as he holds onto Pidge's seat for balance.

The green paladin's eyebrows rise up, "Gas? Farting? That's it! I've got an idea."

"What is it?" The leader asks.

"Remember what Coran said earlier? This planet has deadly steam patches that can send you hurtling into the air! We need to find these steam patches under the galra ship with this 'device' of theirs so they can let the ship go, we make a worm hole jump and get the fuck out of here!"

"Watch your language!" Shiro grits his teeth as they take a hit.

"I hope this works."

Pidge moves her lion to run down the strange land on the planet. She activates the cloaking device and slips right underneath the ship that's taking control of the castle. Just on it's right, a dark spot is on the ground. The green lion digs her claws into the spot and abruptly backs away before steam burts out of it. The pressure was so strong, that the ship spins up and backwards. Even the green lion got flung backwards because of the blast. After they've recovered, Pidge looks for another steam patch, presses it and the galra ships above sends flying out of their pile. The green lion spins backwards, making Hunk groan.

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

"I can control the ship again!" Allura beams. "Get ready paladins. We're about to make the worm hole jump."

Pidge flies towards the ship and into an open hangar. A worm hole opens up in the sky and soon, they're gone and away from the galra.

 

"It brings me joy that all of you paladins are safe." Allura says as she stands in the middle of the lounge where a long sofa is found there. "I was so worried that things could get out of hand judging by the number of ships in the Base Unit."

Hunk and Shiro stand side by side, covering Lance with Keith slung around his shoulders behind them. Pidge twirls the end of her hair as she looks anywhere but the two Alteans. The two tall boys have a sad look on their faces, Coran notice this as he stands beside Allura.

"Why the long faces? You said you got Number four, did you not?"

"Is there something wrong? Hunk? Shiro? Pidge?"

They don't answer for a while.

"Where is the Red Paladin?" Princess Allura asks, only to be answered by silence again. "I demand an answer from either one of you. Where is the Red Paladin?"

Shiro sighs, "Princess, the Galra did something to Keith. When Lance was able to get into his prison cell where they kept him, he found him and he was...different."

"Very different." Hunk nods.

"Different how?" Coran raises a skeptical eyebrow as he twirls his moustache with a finger. "Why do I get the feeling you guys are tiptoeing around this conversation?"

"Coran, Princess Allura," Pidge finally looks up at them. "We were hoping that you would know how to cure what the Galra did to him and help us get Keith better."

"What happened to him exactly? Of course we'll help." Allura says. "He's a paladin of Voltron. Whatever happens to him will jeoprodize the whole team and our mission to defeat Zarkon."

"May we have a look then, shall we?" Coran suggests.

Shiro, Hunk and Pidge share a look before stepping aside to reveal a frowning Lance and a still passed out Keith by his side. Princess Allura gasps as Coran steps forward and puts the Princess behind him.

"What is that vile creature doing in my ship?!" Allura yells.

Lance's frown deepens. "He's Keith, he isn't a 'vile creature'."

"Are you sure? I will not let anything in the ship that could harm the princess." Coran says. "That thing could be a Galra trying to infiltrate the ship and take the lions."

Pidge stomps her foot on the ground. "He isn't a 'thing', Coran. He's Keith and he's our friend. Like I said, we were hoping you could help us with - "

"The Princess isn't going anywhere near that. It could be dangerous! That thing might kill us with its sharp claws. Don't tell me it didn't attack anyone of you first?"

No one answers.

"See?!" Allura throws her hands to her sides. "It cannot be trusted! If it's really your friend, then why would it attempt to hurt you? How much more if it's in the ship? It could cause severe damage!"

"The princess is right," Coran says. "Princess, we should take it down to the airlock and eject it out into space."

The paladins gasps and made angry expressions. Hunk snaps his head up. "Woah, woah, woah! I know that he might be a threat, but we can't just throw him out in space! He'll die out there."

"We can't just give up without even trying to cure him!" Lance yells. "We didn't risk our asses to save his life only to kill him ourselves! We have to try!"

"We could - we could run some tests. Lance is right, we should try - we should!" Pidge says.

"I am sorry, but there is no way I'll let such a creature stay longer in my ship. I am in charge in here, and what I say goes. So, if I say we'll take him to the air lock, we will take him to the air lock."

"You heard the princess, paladins. Take it to the - "

"No." 

"No?!" Princess Allura raises her voice.

"No." Shiro repeats, his brows pull together in anger. "We're not going to let you do that."

"You dare try to go against my orders?"

"You said our mission is to help people from the tyranny of Zarkon. We've helped dozens and dozens of different races and all of them are victims of the Galra Empire." He points a finger to Keith. "Keith is a victim of Zarkon. He didn't deserve this, he never wanted this, and he certainly didn't ask for it. And you're telling me, telling us, that you won't help him when infact he is a victim himself? That's no better than to throw this whole mission away because it's pointless! It's like a whole joke, a twisted prank you pulled on us that risked our lives millions and millions of times."

Everyone grows silent. The tension in the air is suffocating. 

"I'm sorry that I disrespect you princess, but you know that I'm right." Shiro adds.

Allura stares at him for a moment, then, "Fine." She walks away and out of the room. The paladins sighs in relief now that they know they're not gonna throw Keith out into endless space. Suddenly, Keith's head stirs and lifts up. He opens one eye to observe everyone in the room. Hunk makes a nervous yelp and hides behind Shiro. Coran eyes Keith carefully.

"Wh - what happened? What's going on?" Keith asks.

"Hey, mullet. It's us. You're back in the castle, you're safe now."

"Keith!" Pidge wraps her arms around his torso. "It's still you! Lance is right. You're still in there."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember?" Shiro says. "You got captured by the galra."

"What?" He raises his hand up to his face, but he freezes when he sees it purple and has sharp claws. "What happened to my hand? Why is my skin purple?! What's going on?!"

"I think the galra experimented on you." Coran says, staring at him. He isn't sure how to react. They're right, he is still Keith, just in the form of the enemy. "They must've tested if they can transform other creatures into their race. I wonder what for?"

"Can you change me back?" Keith asks as he leans his weight to Lance's side. 

"Hhmm, we're gonna have to put you in a pod for a moment and look at your physical status, see how your body structure has changed. After that, we're going to have to cage you 'till we find a cure."

"...Cage me?" Keith says weakly, removing his hand around Lance's shoulder. "Did I...did I do something wrong?" He asks directly to Shiro.

"You didn't know what you were doing so don't blame yourself. You tried to...hurt us with your claws."

"I did? I - I would never try to hurt anyone of you." He narrows his eyes at the brunette. "Not even Lance."

"Hey, what does that supposed to mean?! I saved you, in case you don't remember that too."

Keith just huffs then looks away. Something dies inside of Lance.

"If you don't mind, let's take you in one of the pods and get started on the analysis. I'll also be looking up what activity I could find that the Galra has. Pidge, you mind helping me?"

"Your resident tech is happy to help." She follows Coran out of the room. 

Shiro pats Keith's shoulder and they both go after the two. Hunk gives Lance a thumbs up, asking if he's okay. Lance nods weakly, exhaustion under his eyes. They all went out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments/feedbacks motivates me to write :3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You said it yourself that you want to help whatever you can and nothing can stop you from doing it. And because, I know you were reading Keith's data, you witnessed it first hand and you feel sorry for him, don't you?"
> 
> "He's my friend."
> 
> "Exactly! That's enough for you to say yes."
> 
> She sits back up, brows pulling together. "What if I didn't agree? What are you going to do then?"
> 
> He shrugs casually. "Then I guess I have to go there on my own."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh geez I am such a mean person. XD Has it been a year already? I don't think anyone still reads this whatevz hehehe. There are things that keep adding on in the plot that's why the chapters needed keep on increasing and I could never get this fic up and running, but I'm already 2k words (I think) in the next chapter so. . . Yeah XD

Shiro stands in front of Keith's pod as Coran types into a key pad next to it. Pidge follows Coran's example beside him, an uneasy look on her face as she reads off given statuses. He examines Keith as he sleeps in peace. The Red Paladin stands there with no clothes on other than the remains of his garment from his suit, which now serves as his shorts. His skin is tainted with purple and decorated with patches of purple fur on some parts on his epidermis.

Shiro's eyebrows pinch together in grief and worry. He's been friends with him for a long time and they treated each other like brothers, like one. Now, he's looking up at him and doesn't know what the hell is going to happen from here on out. But he does have an idea of what might happen. This can only end in two ways; one, they manage to find a cure and Keith will be able to be his normal self again. They'll be able to go back to their usual banter, their jokes, and fight together as a team, as Voltron and free many other people from Zarkon's reign. They could even defeat Zarkon in the long run, as long as they're all together, or; two, they don't find a cure, Keith is gonna stay like that forever, and they're going to have to do something about his violent rages. Shiro knows that the solution to that problem is not going to be pretty.

Coran puts his hands away from the keypad and scratches his head. Pidge stops as well and both of them starts conversing with one another. Shiro didn't bother to partake in the conversation and continued to mulle over his thoughts. He looks back up at Keith and thinks of how much he misses him. Suddenly, a thought crosses his mind, and that thought was Lance. He winces. Lance really changed these last two days. First day, with Keith being captured and all, and today.

Shiro knows for certain that something was going on between the two, but he didn't think that it would take Lance this long to realize his true feelings towards his teammate. Well, Lance hasn't officially told them yet, but everyone can tell what's going on. They know that Lance has a crush on Keith and is just covering it up with his one-sided rivalry. Lance didn't even know he has a crush on the Red Paladin himself! Shiro chuckles softly to himself. That kid. That kid has a good heart. 

"Um, Shiro?" 

He blinks, then turns his head to see both Coran and Pidge looking at him in sorrow. He doesn't like this, he doesn't like this at all. 

"Did you guys find anything? Anything that can explain what happened?" Shiro unfolds his arms and gave them a small smile, letting them know that it's okay to tell him, and that whatever the results are, they tried. 

The two shared a look before Pidge replies, "Actually, we did. It looks like he was injected some kind of. . ." She gestures with her hands, trying to find her words. ". . .some Galra blood mixed with something that can stabilize the molecules inside Keith's body."

Shiro was about to speak when Coran adds in. "Now, here's where it gets very tricky. That something that was supposed to stabilize the Galra blood was unstable. . .very very unstable."

"What do you mean?"

"Uhh, number five, you want to tell him?" Pidge looks up at Coran with wide eyes. After a few seconds, she sighs.

"Fine, but you're telling the others."

"Tell them what?" Shiro asks in an impatient tone. Relax. Focus.

"Okay, we ran the analysis and examined the stats, right? The substance injected in him caused his body structure to change. Hence, the purple thingy all over his body and the, uh, abnormally long fingers and claws, claws, yeah that too--ears, that's a good bonus, cat ears. And, um. . ."

"Pidge," Shiro urged.

"Right. So, basically, Keith is a test subject that. . .that went wrong. The thing that was supposed to stabilize the substance is, as Coran had said, is 'very very unstable'. The molecules won't stop carrying out and won't stop multiplying, and it's. . .growing. Not only in numbers, but in size. It spreads, kinda like cancer. It's what's causing him to go crazy and violent because his body can't handle the changes and his brain can't comprehend on what's happening. Shiro, if we don't find a cure, we'll lose Keith forever and we'll be left with a monster."

When Pidge stopped talking, the whole atmosphere was heavy with silence. All Shiro could do was stare up at Keith while Coran goes back to the keypad. Pidge hasn't moved and waited for Shiro's answer.

"Then. . .you can make a cure, right Coran?" Shiro finally says.

The man in question turns around as he twirls the end of his mustache. He has an uncertain look on his face. "We just need something that can eliminate what the Galra gave him, or maybe just stop the multiplying of it, but I'm afraid there are already hundreds of it in his body at this point that it'd be dangerous. I can try some trial and error with Altean medicines I have stored a while back."

"How about the healing pod?" Pidge asks. "Isn't it supposed to heal people?"

"I'm afraid this isn't something that can be fixed by a healing pod, number five."

"Okay, but what happens if none of the medicines or whatever Altean mambo jambo you have up your sleeve, doesn't work?"

"Then, I don't know what I can do at that point, but," Coran claps his hands together, startling both Shiro and Pidge. "We should think positive and try whatever we can! Hurry now, no time to waste. Shiro, I need you to take Keith to the chambers so he can rest and not. . .hurt anyone."

"You mean the prison cells." Shiro raises an eyebrow.

"Well, y-yes. I'll tell the others while you're at it. Pidge, will you be coming with me?"

"Uhh," Pidge adjusts her eyeglasses and looks anywhere and everywhere but at Coran, and Shiro. "I think I'm going to get some rest first. It's been a long day. Is that okay?"

"Sure, why not? I could get some rest too, afterwards."

"Then that's settled." Shiro says as he opens the pod and gently carries Keith's limp body out and on his shoulder. "I'll settle Keith down and wait until he gets up so I can explain to him what we have in mind."

"Aren't you going to get some rest too?" Pidge asks.

"Don't worry, I will." He lied.

-

Pidge sighs as she plops down on her bed, a cup of space coffee in hand. The peculiar drink doesn't smell, look, or taste like coffee at all, but it's the counterpart of it in Altea. It's color is. . .green, like the food goo and it smells and taste like an odd mixture of rotten bananas and churrios. But the caffeine is on point, and Pidge likes caffeine that's on point. She takes a sip and opens up her laptop. Her glasses reflected the screen's bright glare as she reads Keith's data she had collected earlier.

"Deformity of jaw, sharpened teeth, glowing yellow eyes and lack of pupils. . ." She reads under her breath as a shiver went down her spine.

Knowing the changes Keith had to go through was very spine-tingling. She wonders how they inserted the substance into Keith's body. Something tells Pidge that it was more than just a syringe to a nerve to get it in his body. They probably ran some tests on him too, or did who knows what for their experiment. She shakes her head and tries to fill the sad and empty feeling inside by taking a big gulp of hot space coffee. She'd do anything to save Keith at this point. When she was about to take another sip, the door suddenly whirs open, letting a lanky boy in unannounced. She accidentally downs a mouthful of hot coffee, making her eyes tear up from the pain.

"Lance?! What the hell? You can't just--" she stops when she looks at the bags under his red puffy eyes. 

Oh. 

Looks like Coran already told the others.

"So, you've heard it already?" She says.

"Yeah, I did." Lance replies. "Is there a cure? Do you guys know what can save him? Or, do you guys have a plan in case the trial and error Coran was talking about didn't work? Is there anything I can do to help? I feel like I'm a sitting duck. I need something to do to help."

Pidge sets down her cup on the bedside table. "Lance, you need to calm down. I know this must be really hard for you - "

"It's shit hard."

"- but everyone is trying to do their best, and the best thing we can do is to be patient and have faith. We don't have a plan B yet, but for the meantime, we can hope that the trial and error will wo-"

"Be patient? Faith? Hope? Pidge, open your eyes! You saw it, you heard it, and you know that we're losing Keith every second we waste around here doing nothing and," he frowns and does exaggerated air quotes. ""hope for the best". You and I both know that the trial and error thing Coran is talking about won't work because if the healing pod won't work, then nothing in those Altean medicine or techniques can." 

"I know that, I know." Pidge sighs and rests her head in her hands as Lance continues. "I know everyone is stressed out, but no one is stressed out more than Keith. He probably thinks he's a burden to the team, like he's worthless and that he means nothing now that he's in the form of the enemy, and that he just can't do anything right. . ." He squeezes his eyes shut as tears rolls down his cheeks. His hands are clenched at his sides and his teeth gritted. The girl on the bed watched him in awe. He's obviously talking about things he had felt, things that she had no idea about. Lance was always snarky, flirtatious and a complete dork. Sure, Pidge had encountered Lance in his lows, but she didn't know about his insecurities about his place on the team.

"S-sorry," he sniffs and wipes his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket. "I got carried away."

"I understand."

"Like I was saying, I know you're thinking that we need to come up with a plan B."

She's resting her chin in her hands now. "Obviously you already have one in mind, spill it out."

"My plan is the original plan. The one we should've done while we were still on that planet, when we managed to get Keith back."

Her eyes widens, "No. . ."

"Yes." He kneels beside her and puts his hands on her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye with utter determination. "Pidge, hear me out. We need to go back and demand a cure, so we can have Keith back, our Keith."

She gently removes his hands off her. "I'd love to help Keith with whatever I can and nothing should come in between me and saving my friend. But how do you think the others will react? They won't agree. Especially Shiro. Hunk will probably say yes, but he'll keep worrying about being Galra dinner again."

"That's why we're doing this on our own, just the two of us. They don't have to know. And I'm sure they'll be grateful once we bring the cure back."

"Are you crazy?! If the team had difficulties facing the Galra, how much more if it's just the two of us? We could get caught and end up like Keith, or worse!"

"We have to try! And the two of us? We can rock this one, Pidge. We're going to go there unnoticed. We don't even have to bring any of our lions just incase things don't turn out so well. Go in, look for whoever runs this whole experiment, get the cure and bam! We're out of there."

"You have absolutely lost your mind." She says as she rubs her temples. "Even you know something terrible might happen."

"I only said that because I know you'd worry about our lions getting stolen by the Galra. We can get one of the pods in the hangar."

"Right. Let's just hope that we don't have to use the booster I built in. Coran said the whole thing can blow up."

"Think about it. We can do this, for Keith and for Voltron. . .most importantly for Keith. We can meet up in the hangars, when everybody's asleep. And by that time, the Galra might be asleep too."

Pidge frowns. "I doubt that. That whole place is infested with soldiers, drones, and fleets that can attack whenever necessary. And you're telling me that you and I can just sneak in there without getting caught?"

"Well, I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that we should find a cure and that's all I want to think about."

The girl abruptly lies down on her bed as she sighs in exasperation. Lance stands up and puts his hands on his hips.

"Come on, Pidge. You're the only one I know who would say yes."

"And what makes you say that?"

"You said it yourself that you want to help whatever you can and nothing can stop you from doing it. And because, I know you were reading Keith's data, you witnessed it first hand and you feel sorry for him, don't you?"

"He's my friend."

"Exactly! That's enough for you to say yes."

She sits back up, brows pulling together. "What if I didn't agree? What are you going to do then?"

He shrugs casually. "Then I guess I have to go there on my own."

"What are you - are you fucking - that's the most stupid thing I've ever heard! Are you kidding me?!"

"I'm serious, Pidge. Are you with me on this or not?"

She buries her face into her pillow and lets out a frustrated grunt. Lance watches her with a smirk on his face, knowing very well that he has convinced her to join him. 

"You know what, fine!" Pidge says once she lifts her head up. "I'll come with you. Someone's got to look out for your little butt."

Lance scoffs and Pidge expects him to make a joke or remark about "his fine bottom", but surprisingly, he doesn't. 

"I'll meet you in the hangars at midnight. Make sure you don't run into anyone on your way there and don't let anyone know. Take what you need."

"Whatever, whatever." She takes her cup and goes back to her laptop.  
"As long as we go along the plan, I'm fine with it."

"You are the best!" He reaches down to hug Pidge. She squirms and complains in response. 

"Get off me! Your breath smells worse than this space coffee!"

 

-

The doors of the elevator opens and Lance steps out onto a platform that takes him towards a concealed room. He's holding a tray of food goo and packs of water for Keith. The brunette puts the tray in one hand, then the other on the screen recognition next to the metal door and it automatically opens. He walks toward a circular glass where prisoners are kept, where Keith is kept, who was wearing one of the suits they wear whenever they go into the healing pods. Shiro was there, sitting beside the glass and it seems like Lance interrupted a private conversation. The brunette has a sheepish smile on his face, an apology ready on the tip of his tongue when Shiro stands up and meets him halfway to pull him to the side.

"Is there something wrong? I didn't mean to interrupt." Lance says to Shiro.

"No, it's okay. I just wanted to let you know that I've informed Keith of what's happening with the whole thing and he needs a bit time to process it."

"You mean, I should leave him alone for a minute?"

"No, I mean, he's probably in shock right now and needs a bit of comfort to get his mind off of things, for the meantime. Maybe go easy on him round the subject?"

"Oh, I see. Yeah, I can do that."

"Coran already told you right?" Lance nods. "You agree with the plan he's made?"

He keeps a straight face, "Yeah, I'm totally okay with it. There's nothing I can do but wait and be patient."

"I was hoping you would say that." Shiro pats his shoulder. "Promise me you won't do anything else."

"Yeah, whateves. Can I go now?"

For a moment, they look in each other's eyes. The tall man tries to look in his eyes for anything that might give away any hidden agendas. Lance keeps an eyebrow raised at him, a bead of sweat rolling down from his temple. Oh god.

"Good. I'll leave you two now." He finally says and proceeds to leave the room. Once the door closes he lets out the breath he's been holding.  
Lance knows for sure that Shiro can read him like an open book. He guesses that this page is blank. He saunters towards Keith who was sitting on the other side of the glass. He regards the Blue paladin with yellow glowing eyes and his cat ears up, twitching to hear every sound there is to hear. Lance would think that it's cute, except for the fact that he's also capable of clawing the hell out of anyone in any minute. Despite this fact, he plans to open the cell. He reaches for the keypad next to the door when suddenly a surprised grunt came from the boy inside.

"What do you think you're doing?! You can't do that!" Keith exclaims as he stares up at Lance. "I'm too dangerous to be let out. I could go loose and hurt someone!"

"Relax, Keith. It's just me. I'll open it up while you eat and I'll immediately put you back once you're done. Does that sound okay?"

He shakes his head. "You're out of your mind."

"I've been getting that a lot lately." Lance chuckles. "Trust me, Keith. Nothing is gonna happen. You're just going to eat. Plus, I'm not going to leave you, I promise."

Keith stares at him silently. It looks like he was still having some second thoughts so Lance sighs and sit next to the glass where Keith is.

"Come on, Keith. It's okay. You're still you, a paladin of Voltron, our friend. We wouldn't treat you any less."

"But you guys cage me - "

"That's - "

" - which I totally get why and I would've told you guys to lock me up either way."

"Just let me get you out for a few minutes? Then I'll put you back, no questions asked. Mmkay?"

He stares at him again with wide glowing eyes before nodding weakly. This makes Lance smile widely and the blush on Keith's face doesn't go unnoticed. The lanky boy stands up and presses a few buttons on the keypad before the glass rises up. Lance steps in on the platform and smiles down at Keith.

"Come on, time to eat." He offers him a hand in which he accepts. They step out and sit at the edge of the once prison cell. Lance gives him the tray of food with a small smile on his face and Keith can't help but stare with a confused look on his face. When the brunette feels a pair of eyes on him, he feels uncomfortable and steals a glance.

"Is there something wrong? You don't like the food?"

"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" Keith asks, bluntly.

"What do you mean? Do you really think that I'm that of a jerk to make fun of you at this time?"

"You're always a jerk. Especially to me."

"You've got a point."

They were silent for a few moments, then "So, what made you have a change of heart?"

"What?"

"What made you have a change of heart?"

Oh.

Keith doesn't know.

 

Keith doesn't know how he made him feel. He doesn't know that he's the reason why he's losing his mind every second, every hour. He doesn't know that he's the reason why he keeps living at this point. He doesn't know. Does he want him to know?

"Let's just say that something about our heart-to-heart conversation in the kitchen stuck to me."

"And what's that?"

"Ppfftt, I don't know."

Keith gives him a flat stare. Lance sighs.

"I guess it just made me realize that someone as good as you also feels low sometimes."

"Someone as good as me? I'm nothing but a monster now."

"That's not true." Lance grabs his hand, making Keith gasp. "You're not a monster, Keith. And don't look down on yourself for something the Galra did to you. You're an amazing and an incredible person that I always look up to. I was always jealous of you so I always try to compete against you, just so I won't be invisible to your eyes. I - "

Keith pulls his hand back with a frown on his face. Lance looks at him with a look of shock and hurt, his hand still raised from where Keith's used to lay there.

"You're confusing me." He says before looking down on the tray sitting on his lap. He gets his spoon and picks on his food. The brunette lets his hand drop as he watch Keith. 

"Then what do you want me to do? Leave?" Lance starts to get up when Keith gently pulls him back down by the arm. That makes Lance sigh in relief. 

"I want you to make it clear to me exactly how you feel."

The Blue Paladin stares at him before leaning in and kisses him on the cheek, making Keith's ears pop up and a violet streak across his face to appear. Lance lets their forehead touch and puts a hand on Keith's left cheek.

"When you got captured, I thought I'd never see you again. I did whatever I could to get you back and I did, the team did. That made me realize something." He takes a deep breath then, "I. . .I love you, Keith."

That's it. He finally said it.

He finally told him how he really feels.

The worst thing he could do is reject him. Um, but the thing Keith did in response hurt just as much.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge adjusts her back pack higher on her shoulders as she tiptoe her way to the hangar where the pods are. It was the time where everyone is supposedly asleep and judging by the silent air, the assumption just might be true. When she got there, she sees a figure leaning against the side of a pod.
> 
> Lance.
> 
> Oh boy was this gonna be a joy ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, another update! XD  
> I just hope I can start the next chapter right away because I feel like I'm about to deal with a writing block again. Ugh! Enjoy anyway :-)

Lance stares straight into Keith's eyes, not knowing what to think. Like, he did it. He finally told him his true feelings towards Keith, and he kissed him and held his cheek. He even felt the heat of his forehead (furry forehead, itchy forehead). A million thoughts and scenarios ran inside of his head of how Keith will react. Maybe he'll push him away and get mad at him. He'd probably never want to talk to him again, let alone see him. Or maybe, though it's too good to be true, he'd kiss him back, but this time, on the lips. Or maybe confess his feelings as well. Like he said, too good to be true. Lance braces himself for whichever might happen next, except, he wasn't really expecting what Keith did next. 

Nope.

Oh for the love of god.

Keith throws his head back, wraps his arms around his stomach and laughs his heart out. . .or whatever the hell that's keeping him alive.  
Lance can only stare in bewilderment. It's not like he said something funny. Pidge always told him that he's a goof ball and that she'd be concerned if people didn't laugh at him, but he didn't expect for him to be that funny. Was it because Keith was making fun of his feelings? That definitely made a fire burn in the pit of his stomach.

He frowns at the laughing galra. "You think this is funny? What's wrong with you?!"

"It's- it's," Keith says, trying to gasp for some air. "It's funny as hell!"

"I can't believe you'd actually make fun of me. Just finish your food and I'll put you back in, you jerk." Lance looks away with a pout, resting his chin in his palm. 

When Keith saw the look on Lance's face, his laughter dies down and he gently taps his shoulder to grab his attention. He only gets a grunt in response.

"Hey, come on." Keith says. "I'm sorry I laughed. I wasn't laughing at your feelings, Lance."

The brunette abruptly turns to face him. "Then what was that about? What? The Galra thing they injected in you, right? Must be getting to you?"

He shakes his head with a chuckle. "No, it's because it took you long enough for finally acknowledging your feelings towards me."

"Wait," Lance blushes. "You knew? All this time?"

"I had suspicions of it, until I got to the point that I got frustrated in trying to find out how you actually feel about me and just assumed that you hate me because of the way you treat me whenever I'm around you."

He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment. "So, are you saying that I was. . .so obvious, but I was oblivious to it?"

"Yeah, but it's okay. I should've told you that I liked you too in the first place."

Lance's breath gets caught in his throat as he feels something flutter in his chest.

"What? You mean. . .?"

Keith sighs. "Yes, Lance. I have feelings for you too."

"I - that's - !"

"But it's dangerous, Lance." He gives him a sad look, so sad that it made Lance's heart ache.

"What do you mean it's dangerous?"

"It's dangerous because we both know how this is going to end. We both know that we have feelings for each other at the wrong time."

Lance stands and throws his hands up in irritation. "I'm so sick of everyone telling me that 'it's too dangerous'! I mean, come on! We're fighting the aliens in a giant weapon robot thingy, we're drifting in endless space and we could die anytime. We're always in danger! Why bother being cautious? Just take the risk!" He holds Keith's hand in his and looks at him deep in his eyes. "If it's too dangerous, then let me take the risk. I've already risked everything just to get you back. I risked my life, the team, Pidge, Hunk and Shiro. Even Allura and Coran. I risked Voltron which means I put the fate of the universe on the line just to get you back and I'm not planning on stopping now because I love you, Keith."

The foreign hand in Lance's squeezes him abruptly before the short boy starts to shed tears from his yellow eyes. "You don't know what you're doing, Lance. You're only going to hurt yourself. You know this is just going to be painful if you keep on thinking that I'll be normal again."

"That's because you will be."

He pulls his hand out of Lance's. "You don't know that! You should just move on with your life and forget about me, Lance. You have greater things ahead of you. I'll be nothing but a victim of my own abusive mind taking over. You're going to lose me soon and you know that."

Lance starts crying because it hurt. Keith's words, they hurt really bad. They sting in every painful way as possible, crippling Lance's heart. He didn't know what else to do other than to press his lips against Keith's. The kiss was bittersweet and salty from both tears streaming down from each other's faces. Keith nudged Lance off, the tray of food forgotten on his lap.

"Lance, what are you doing?" He asks in a weak voice. They hear the sound of metal doors opening, meaning that Lance's visit is finished. 

"I'm going to find a way to get you back, I promise." Lance whispers as he rubs the pads of his thumbs against Keith's cheeks. "I promise you. I promise. I love you, Keith."

"Lance, no. . ." 

"Hey, guys! I dropped by to give Keith some of my renowned milk shake and I - " Hunk stops in his tracks, disturbing the milkshake inside its container that he's holding. He froze as he watch Lance untangle himself from Keith then walks away crying. Keith's crying too. "Uh, I'm so sorry, but I can't help but notice you're out of your. . .room? Um, I'm sorry I interrupted."

Keith wipes his eyes with the back of his hand. He lifts the bowl and eats the whole food goo in a matter of seconds. He downs the water packs and grabs the milkshake Hunk offered and finishes it. Keith stands up and steps into his "room". 

"Please activate the barriers." He simply said.

"Are you sure? I mean, it's okay if you - "

"Please, Hunk."

Keith was locked up once again.

\- 

Pidge adjusts her back pack higher on her shoulders as she tiptoe her way to the hangar where the pods are. It was the time where everyone is supposedly asleep and judging by the silent air, the assumption just might be true. When she got there, she sees a figure leaning against the side of a pod.

Lance.

Oh boy was this gonna be a joy ride.

She stands up right and strides towards him.

"It's about time you showed up. I was beginning to think that I had to do this thing on my own - which I wouldn't mind."

"You lack faith in me too much" was all Pidge could say as she noticed the faint red in Lance's eyes, giving away that he'd been crying again. 

"Seriously though, what took you so long?"

"Chill, Lance. I was just making sure that it was late enough that I won't bump into anyone in the halls."

"You certainly did a good job of doing so."

Okay, now that was neither of the two's voice. Lance and Pidge jumps at the sound of the third party, an unwelcomed third party. Lance frowns as soon as he sees her in her night gown, with her hair flowing down her shoulders.

"Princess Allura." Pidge says, a tinge of panic and surprise in her voice.

"Pidge, did you tell her that we were going to be here?" The tone of his voice was full of venom as he said through gritted teeth. He still hadn't forgotten how she treated Keith the moment she saw him in his unconscious state.

"Lance, I swear I didn't tell anyone."

"She's right, Lance. She did not. Shiro told me that you would probably be brewing an unmistakably chaotic plan to somehow find an alternative cure for Keith. Knowing how persistent you can be, I figured this could be true."

Lance sneered when she had the guts to even mention Keith's name.   
"And why didn't he showed up here himself? And what do you care anyway? If you're concerned about the pod, don't be. We'd be back here with it without a scratch. And by then, we'd already have the cure."

"That is, if we don't use the booster modification that I've inputted in the pod so that it won't explode." Pidge adds.

Lance rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Princess, there's nothing you can do to stop us from leaving. We're doing this, and you can't tell us otherwise."

"Shiro is with Keith right now, and I don't care about the pods. I'm not here to stop you, I'm here to apologize."

"You are?" Both of them asks.

"Yes, I am." She looks down on her fingers with guilt as she starts to explain herself. "I fully admit that what I did was wrong, and that the mere suggestion of throwing Keith into the airlock and ejecting him out into space was very. . ." She grimaced. "Hardcore."

"Very very hardcore." Lance says, making Pidge elbow him to his side.

"But I soon realized that he's still Keith, somewhere deep inside, and that he's in dire need of help. That he didn't deserve this and that he didn't asked for this. Ever since I found out that my entire culture was destroyed by Zarkon, I consider you all as my own family. So, I didn't know what to think when Keith came back with the face of the enemy. I do hope you would forgive me of my previous behavior. I'm doing all I can to help Coran with what we can, but I'm afraid you two have something else in mind?" 

Lance and Pidge shared a look before Pidge replies, "Yes, Princess. We're going back to that same Galra Base Unit to get the cure."

"You can't stop us if that's what you think you should do." Lance says.

Allura gives them a sad smile. "Though I do not entirely agree to this whole secret agenda," she puts a finger to her chin as if in deep thought. "But let's say Shiro asks me if I've somehow encountered any of your presence the night before he finds out both of you were missing. Perhaps I'd have to tell him to see reason in your actions, that he should should be a little more like you two."

Pidge's eyes sparkles in amazement while Lance smiles widely at her.

"You're the best, Princess! And we forgive you about the whole thing with Keith. We understand."

Lance scratches his head, pretending to have second thoughts. "Do we really though?"

Pidge glares up at him, "Lance."

He chuckles and puts his hands up in surrender. "I'm joking, I'm joking."

"I guess you two should be moving along now before you-know-who gets the idea to visit the hangars and check if there were any surprise visitors." She smiles brightly at them. "Good luck. Both of you."

Pidge wraps her arms around Allura's waist before she turns around to enter the pod. Lance gives the princess an uncertain look, not knowing what to do.

"Come here." She says softly as she steps forward with open arms to pull him into her embrace. "You better come back in one piece."

"I will. Thank you, for everything." He returns the hug with a small smile on his lips. They part and Allura gives him a motivating look.

"And Lance, bring that cure for Keith."

He reciprocates her look with determination in his eyes, "I will, Princess. Oh, and Princess?"

"Yes, Lance?"

"You think we could get a wormhole open up? You know, to make things a bit faster?"

"The ship will alarm every one once I open up a wormhole. I think I can mute the sound systems for the meantime."

"Thanks, Princess."

"Lance! Anytime now!" Pidge calls out of the pod's window then slides back in. 

"Duty calls." 

"Be careful."

\- 

"How do you feel?" Allura says in the morning while putting a gentle hand on Keith's back.

They were in the ship's hidden laboratory. It's a spacious room surrounded by different kinds of machinery in every side and corner, along with metal racks that has bottles of medicines and tools sitting on each level. The room is fairly lit, but there's still a lamp of some kind  
next to Keith to further illuminate him. Keith was seated in a metal chair in the middle of the space of it all, his wrists and ankles tightly strapped to the arms and legs of his seat, and his neck has a strap to hold him down to the back of his chair. His posture is stiff as his eyes follows Coran's figure walking around the room, going through several Altean medicines while also keeping an eye on him and Allura.

"A bit weird, I guess? Uh, are you sure these straps are tight enough? I don't want it to snap off once I. . .you know." He wiggles his balled fists as he tests them out.

Allura gives him a warm and sympathetic smile . "They are strapped by Coran and Shiro and if anything, they're very anxious about my well-being so yes, I'd say that they're tight and secure. But most importantly, we all care about your well-being, Keith." She slides her hand from behind his back to his shoulder and squeezes it. "You have to stay strong for us, like you always have been. We can get through this, understand?"

"Y-yeah, I do. Thank you." Keith gives her a sly smile, but it obviously wasn't enough to cover his anxiety and doubt which goes unnoticed by Allura. She was about to call him out when Keith races her to it. "Do you guys have a muzzle or some sort? Just so I won't hurt anyone with my teeth? It's in case someone might actually get too close and the strap of my neck might loosen and you know what comes after that. I feel like it's for the best."

Allura's smile falls and forms into a pained expression, her hand never leaving his shoulder. "Keith, I don't think that's necessary. You're already immobile in your seat. Having a muzzle is a bit too much, do you not think so?"

"I don't want to hurt anyone. I can't control myself once I go under my violent rages. Every time I do, it gets harder and harder to get back to my consciousness. Please, Allura. It helps me be at ease."

"Keith, it's okay to - "

"Actually," Coran says while walking towards them, his hands occupied with some sort of metal tool. "I was hoping I could put this on you Keith, but perhaps it is a little bit too much and too rude to - "

His ears perks up as he tries to nod, but fails when the strap around his neck keeps him from the movement. He waves his hands instead. "No! No no no no! I'm okay with it. I want it. It's okay!"

Allura and Coran share a look before she sighs and steps back, removing her hand from Keith's shoulder to cross her arms. She watch as Coran places the metal muzzle with leather straps over his head and slips it gently down to his face. The tall man secures the strap behind his head until he hears a grunt from the now muzzled boy. 

Coran steps back and pats Keith's shoulders. "Keith, you're a bave young lad. Boy, if I was in your place I'd be quiznaking soiling my pants the moment I step into this room!" He says in his usual chirpy voice.

"That doesn't help," Allura says with a pointed look. "Moving along, Coran, why won't you tell Keith your procedures?"

"Ah, yes. As the name 'trial and error' suggest, we're going to be testing you some medicines until we can find the one that can absolutely cure you. We'll be taking a sample of your blood to test out some of the medicines, but most of the medicines are needed to be directly inputted into you so we can see how you physically react to it. It's a bit vague, I know, but I'm sure you'll catch up. And don't worry about overdose, we're going to put time intervals in between the injected substances until it the last one wears off." Coran finishes with a reassuring smile before walking back to where he was looking at bottles of medicines. Allura stays standing where she is, waiting to get a reaction from him with a patient smile.

"Okay. . ." Keith cast his eyes down, and they were silent for a moment, then, "Where's. . .Where's Lance?" 

Keith can see Coran visibly stiffen as he falters in his steps. He looks over his shoulder to look at Allura before continuing his rummaging in the racks. The muzzled boy's eyes flicks to Allura who has the same warm smile she has when his eyes left her seconds ago.

"Maybe Lance has finally gotten some sleep. He has been very weary in finding you, Keith. He's the most 'persistent' of us all in our rescue mission. If you're worried about company during the tests, don't worry. We promised we won't start without Hunk and Shiro."

He furrows his brows, "What about Pidge? Shouldn't she be here with Coran?"

He can see Allura opening and closing her mouth before Coran cuts in. "Oh, don't worry about her. Number five spent the night analyzing your data for me. Half of it is still left to look into, perhaps that's what caused her delay." The tall man glances at Allura before turning back around to continue his search.

"Right," Allura smiles at Keith.

Panic bubbles inside his chest. Something's definitely off and he doesn't like it one bit. He knows Allura and Coran are keeping something from him, but he has to stay calm or else he might have another episode, which is not good since he might break free of his bonds and might hurt Allura and Coran. He wills his thoughts away as he tries to calm down.

As stupid as he thinks it is, he wishes he could be with Lance right now.

He wills that thought away too.

 

\- 

"You think they've found out about it by now?"

Pidge asks as she leans back on the passenger seat, feet propped up on the dashboard while she idly scrolls into her high-tech phone. She doesn't look up at Lance even when he's answering her question.

"Definitely. They must be expecting me to be there with Keith and you to be there to help with the tech stuff. Shiro must be giving Allura a hard time as we speak, no doubt."

Pidge hums in agreement, "She can handle him anyway. Shiro might be tough and buff, but she's way scarier than we're being led on." 

A brief silence falls between them as they fly through endless space. Pidge snorts at something on her phone and leans towards Lance so he can see it too.

"Remember when we went to that one planet where the people there looked like buttheads?" She says with a grin. "It was so fun to see you torn between flirting with one of them or running away back into the ship!"

Lance's face went red as he eyes the picture on Pidge's phone. There, he was forcefully smiling at the camera next to two aliens who held up peace signs in the air. "It's because they're not exactly my type! That's the only explanation to it! It's not like I saw you making much interactions with them either."

"That's because I simply don't want to. Unlike you, who talks a lot and flirt with anything that has arms and legs."

Lance gives her a flat look before flicking his eyes back in front of him. She's still showing him pictures as she goes through them with a press of her thumb. He chuckles as each picture shows him, Hunk, and Pidge posing with random aliens with different races from different planets. There are some where Pidge took a shot of Shiro and Allura standing side by side as Coran was talking to some kind of an authority figure. Most of the other pictures are selfies of Lance. Pidge groans.

"How many of your selfies are in here?! I can't believe that you filled half of my gallery and I just noticed it now."

"Yeah, well, those are some good shots. Send me those, will you?"

Pidge grunts in agreement. Just as she was about to pull her phone away, her thumb scrapes against the screen, moving to the next picture. Lance freezes as he stares at the familiar face in it.

Keith.

The actual Keith, the beautiful Keith.

He's frowning with his thick eyebrows pulled downwards, together with his lips. Lance is at the corner of the picture, posing with his tongue out next to the clearly upset Red Paladin. The brunette had an arm around him as he held the phone high in attempt to capture both of them. 

Lance pulls his right hand away of the handles to tap on the screen to see the next picture, and he isn't surprised to see another picture of them together. This one, Keith was looking fondly at the camera. As Pidge realizes at what they're looking at, she looks at Lance with worry.

"Uh, Lance? Are you okay?"

"Send me those too."

He puts his hand back on the controls and focuses on flying them to the Base Unit to get the cure Keith needs to be okay again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She closes her eyes and the pillars glow in bright blue as a wormhole appeared outside in a good distance from the ship among the cosmos.   
> Lance and Pidge's pod can be seen flying straight into the wormhole, and soon, they were on the other side. Allura sighs as she removes her hands from the pillars while she stares into the space where the wormhole had been, where the two went off into.
> 
> "What did you do?"
> 
> The sudden voice made Allura jump and whip her head fast that she was afraid it would snap off of her body. With wide eyes and parted lips, she stares at her intruder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Pidge is my brOTP. That is all.

Hunk and Shiro finally arrive in their armor for some reason. Both of the paladins saunter into the room with careful and uncertain steps. Allura stands straighter while she watch them watch Keith. When their eyes finally flick to Coran and Allura, she gives them a smile. They're a bit more comfortable around each other now that Allura had also apologized to them last night about her behavior.

"Good morning, Hunk and Shiro. You two finally came." She says.

"Yeah, sorry it took us long. Hunk insisted that we should eat breakfast first. But really, we woke up very early." Shiro explained with a small smile, but that smile faded completely when he looked at Keith strapped in his chair. "How about you, Keith? You sure you're full from that food I gave you earlier? We could always undo your straps so you could eat. And. . .apparently there's a muzzle on your face." Shiro looks at Allura for an explanation.

"Yeah, what's with the muzzle?" Hunk asks, worry in his eyes. "I get that it's for safety, and it already sucks seeing Keith caged and bounded, but to have him wear that. . ."

Coran clears his throat. "Don't worry. The thing isn't even uncomfortable against the skin, and they're leather save for the actual guard."

"But, isn't it a little too much to have him wear that?"

"Actually, he - "

"It's fine, Hunk. Shiro. I actually asked for this. I wanted this so I could feel less anxious about hurting anyone with my teeth. And, no thanks. I'm full." Keith says through his muzzle.

Coran was cut off by Keith's low voice. Both of the paladins kept their mouth shut after that, a silent agreement that falls between all of them, and there were no further arguments about the issue. 

Coran clapped his hands once with his same chirpy smile, making everyone in the room flinch at the sudden loud and abrupt sound.   
"Okay, shall we start? We haven't got all day!"

Hunk bit his lip, then, "Shouldn't we wait for Lance? I mean, shouldn't he be here by now? I called him earlier out his door, but I figured he was still asleep. Should I go back and call him?"

"I can call him. Maybe check on Pidge, too. She's probably in the Green Lion's hangar right now." Shiro says and begins walking back to where he came from when Allura puts a hand on his shoulder.

Coran visibly stiffens while Allura just tilts her head and gives Shiro and Hunk a calm look. "Let them rest. You must've know how exhausted Lance could be after all that's been happening, and maybe this is the first time he had some sleep. And Pidge might want to be left alone right now. Otherwise, she should be here."

Shiro looks in her eyes and leans in to whisper, attempting to have a private conversation with her, but utterly failing of how close they to the others. "Have you checked in on what I've requested, Princess?"

Coran clears his throat when Keith asks what Shiro is talking about.  
"Don't worry, lad. Shiro must've requested the Princess about a device of some sort."

"What dev - ?"" Keith pressed further.

It was cut off by Allura's response. "There's nothing I've encountered out of the ordinary." The answer was simple, but every one can see how Shiro's eyes narrows a bit, as if he spots a different meaning in her words. 

"What's going on? Guys?" Hunk asks, voice and expression uneasy as his eyes darts back and forth from Allura, to Coran, to Shiro, to Keith, and back at Allura. "Is there something I'm missing here, or is it the after-breakfast jitters?"

"What's happening is that we have to get this operation started!" Coran says, voice chirpy as always as he readies the syringe. "We'll start with this one. This particular substance exterminates the harmful virus in a person's body by travelling through your blood vessels and devour those harmful cells. It'll eventually wear off by the time it's done, and it'll leave the body by bile. So Keith, you should get ready to extract it later. Well, it will automatically leave your mouth - but you'll actually doze off of consciousness when you take this medicine! So, you'll be knocked out the whole time it's working in your body and woken up when it's done! I'll just inject it to you now." 

The tall Altean takes a careful step closer to Keith to roll up his sleeve on his right arm. He damps his skin at his upper arm under his fur with a cotton wet with an anti-microbial, lets the selected site dry, and grabs hold of the syringe again. Keith audibly takes a deep breath, making Hunk walk to his side to give a supporting hand on his shoulder. The gesture seems to relax him, but only by a bit. When he's sure Keith is ready, he injects it intramuscularly with his dominant hand using a quick, darting motion aligned to Keith's body at an angle between 72 and 90 degrees, as a faster injection is less painful, but Keith can't stop his groans of pain. By the time Coran has taken the syringe off and applying gauze, Keith's eyes were already fluttering close, the medication already taking effect.

Shiro was watching intently, the issue between him and Allura forgotten, temporarily. Allura sighs in relief, quietly to herself as she watch Keith try to keep his eyes open. It looked like he was looking for  
something around the room, for something, or for someone. Finally, his eyes closed, and they don't open for a long time. Coran stood upright and walked towards one of the computers that lined the room.

"Hunk, mind helping me with Keith's data? I'm sure you'll catch up just as Pidge had." The Altean says as he takes a seat in front of a computer at the right of Keith. "These outdated contraptions helps us in monitoring on what's going on inside a person's body as it gives us the heart rate, the blood levels, the breathing and such!" He smiles at Hunk as the Yellow Paladin takes a seat beside him.

"Blood levels?" Hunk pales. "Are we talking about visual presentations or just numbers and scales? Please let it be just numbers and scales."

"Numbers and scales, lad. Numbers and scales."

"Thank goodness."

"Fascinating," Shiro says as he leans over them from behind their chairs. "This old device, if somehow it ended up in earth, won't be so old. It would make a massive advancement in technological medicine. I mean, look at these detailed readings, thought they're in Altean. But I can tell it's detailed. And this is all happening with the chair as the transmitter. We don't even need to put some sort of cords - I sound like Pidge, don't I?"

Hunk smiles up at Shiro. "You kinda do. But you're right, though. It's thorough in detail. I can understand a bit of Altean, but not as much as Pidge does."

The Princess thanks Coran silently in her own corner. She hadn't had in mind to let Coran know that Lance and Pidge went off on their own, back to the very place where Keith was captured, but either way, she was thankful that he caught her there last night.

 

The doors to the control room open and Allura takes a tentative step in, her head turning side to side to see if there was anyone else in there, particularly Coran. When she was sure she was alone, she ran towards the platform where she normally stands during battles and initiating wormholes. She swipes up the air and a screen hovers in front of her. It appears with a map of planets and stars. She studies it before putting her hands on the two pillars that rise from the ground on both of her sides, getting ready to open a wormhole for Lance and Pidge. 

"We're ready Princess." Pidge says through their intercom, but Allura can hear her voice by her diamond earings. 

She closes her eyes and the pillars glow in bright blue as a wormhole appeared outside in a good distance from the ship among the cosmos.   
Lance and Pidge's pod can be seen flying straight into the wormhole, and soon, they were on the other side. Allura sighs as she removes her hands from the pillars while she stares into the space where the wormhole had been, where the two went off into.

"What did you do?"

The sudden voice made Allura jump and whip her head fast that she was afraid it would snap off of her body. With wide eyes and parted lips, she stares at her intruder.

Coran stands at the bottom of the platform, with the same wide eyes that Allura has, both pair filled with panic and dread. They stay like that for a long moment, staring each other as if with one move, the whole ship would explode. So, Allura held her breath, heart lodged in her throat. She flinched when Coran asked again.

"What did you - "

"Don't tell them!" Allura says, hushed but in panic as she points a shaking finger at him. "Please, Coran. Don't tell the others, not right now."

"Princess, did you seriously just let someone out?! Who was the one who left?"

A sweat rolled down her temple. "There were two of them. Pidge and Lance."

"In their lions?!"

"No, in one of the pods. Please, Coran. Don't tell Shiro, or Hunk. Especially Keith! They'd go ballistic if they find out!"

"And how am I supposed to react, princess? Those two are just youngsters and they're just in a pod! Wait, where are they going?"

"Base Unit. . ."

"Base Unit?"

"Galra - "

"Galra?!" Coran jumps, eyes frantic and fingers going to his orange locks. "That Galra Base Unit - are they out of their minds?! If Voltron himself was having trouble back there, how much more if they're on their own?! You didn't try to stop them?!"

"Coran, it's not like you can control their every move! And Lance was very persistent - "

"Lance! Oh, imagine if he would've insisted you'd join them! And then you would oblige and ran off to your own deaths! I can't handle that! I can't risk losing you!"

Allura steps down from the platform to put both of her hands on his shoulders in attempt to make him snap out of it.

"Coran, I didn't go. Remember, I'm right here with you. We know Lance and Pidge. They're brave, strong and decisive. They know what they're doing. I told them to hail us if anything went wrong or when they needed a wormhole to come back. It's fine Coran. Calm down."

He relaxed a bit and looked at her face, "They went back for a cure, didn't they? They didn't believe the trial and error would work, didn't they? And you let them go, because you didn't either."

Allura tightens her hands on his shoulder. "It's not like that, Coran. It's just so this can be dealt with, once and for all. Maybe they can even find out why they're making formulas to make someone as their own kind. See what they're brewing. You must see reason in me."

"And how do you plan on delivering the news to the other paladins?"

She bit her lip, "I don't know, but if we can prolong not telling them, then we should do it. And we shouldn't let Keith know. Who knows what might happen if he finds out."

"They're going to have to find out sooner or later, Princess."

"That's why you have to help me. Please."

"If this is what you think we should do Princess, then I will."

Immediately, she pulls him into her embrace. They stay like that for a long time before Coran speaks.

"I wish they'd be successful and safe."

"As I, Coran." 

 

-

 

"BITCH!" Pidge hollered beside Lance. "DID YOU HONESTLY THINK WE'D BE ABLE TO SNEAK IN WITH AN ALTEAN POD INTO GALRA TERRITORY?!"

"Stop shouting or we both are gonna go deaf! And how should I know?! I told you that I thought they'd be asleep at this hour."

Pidge pointed to the windshield, "WELL, THAT CERTAINLY PROVED YOU WRONG."

They were hovering above the planet's atmosphere, hesitant to engage   
because of the Galra fleets floating aimlessly as they guard from above the unit. Pidge rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms as she tries to calm down.

"Well, what about you, huh? Why hadn't you thought about that earlier?"

"Don't put the blame on me!" She snaps. "I thought you had it all planned out, but like I had said before, 'Someone's got to look out for your little butt'." She grunts in frustration while she looks out of the window, thinking of a way to get through this obstacle.

"Look, the more we stay out here, the more we're going to get spotted. I say we go in and fight them off until we can get to land so we can sneak in. If we lose the pod in the process, we'll find another ship. Maybe we can hijack one of those fighter jets."

"If we fight them off, the whole base will be alarmed and we'll DIE."

"I don't need that kind of negativity from you, Pidge! We're going with my plan. Or maybe, if you don't like that one, I got another one. We should leave the pod, free fall our way from the fleets, that way, we'll be just specks of dust and we won't even get noticed! Then, we'll land with the help of our jet packs, and bam! Razzle Dazzle!"

"Are you fuckin' - Lance, let me list off the wrongs in your plan. One, if we leave the pod here, someone will probably notice sooner or later and alarm the whole place. Two, if we take the risk getting out of the pod and be around those fleets, we'd die the second one shoots at us. And Three, WE'LL FUCKING BURN WHEN WE BREAK THROUGH THE PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE, EVEN WITH OUR ARMORS, GENIOUS! And how are you so sure we'll Land successfully?!"

Lance goes red in the face, embarrassed by the flaws in his plan. "Well, I don't see you suggesting a plan! Do you have a better one?!"

"Yes, I ALWAYS do. And it's better and more logical. One that's CAREFULLY thought."

"What?"

"They're on a planet, they can't cover the entirety of it at the same time. If we circle it in a way that we're behind the Base Unit, a blind spot, no one will see us. We can leave the pod behind one of the boulders down there. Then, we travel on foot. Judging where the sun is, it's night time for them too, so sneaking in will be easy enough."

"That's genius! Lance says and cups Pidge's cheeks to kiss her forehead with a 'MWAHH'. She squawks when he lets go, making her fall onto her seat. "We'll go with that. I don't know what I'd ever do without you!"

"Die, that's what." She says as she readjusts her glasses. "Now let's get moving." 

They proceed with the plan with ease, travelling the length of the planet until they found a place with no fleets. They break into the surface and descended without having to fight or alarming anyone. Just as they were about to land behind a boulder, Pidge puts a panicked hand on Lance's arm to make him stop.

"Wait! Don't land there - don't touch that ground!"

"What the cheese? This is your plan, we have to hide the pod. What's your deal now?"

"Steam patches." Pidge says. "Remember? If we put pressure on them, we'll fly up by steam."

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. You're doing a really good job of keeping an eye out for me."

"Let's find another boulder."

They fly for a bit and it wasn't long until they find a boulder big enough for the pod to hide behind and one that didn't have steam patches around it. They finally hit ground and get out of the pod with their helmets on, the glass on their helmets fully covering their face as their was no breathable air. It was a bit foggy so they have more coverage and less chances of getting caught. They crouch down as they advance to the building, hiding behind large rocks they can come close to. Both of them hasn't said a word since they left the pod, afraid if they speak, they'll get caught immediately. Suddenly from afar, a steam patch has been put pressure on, causing it to release hot steam. A yelp was heard in the far distance, making both Pidge and Lance jump at the sound. Their eyes widen when they hear a number of fleets approaching their way.

"Hide!" Lance says in a harsh whisper, almost pushing her down to the ground as they lean against a small formation of rocks, blocking them from sight. The jets fly past them towards the source of the disturbance.  
The paladins watch as the Galra shoot at something in the distance, making this something scream in pain before an explosion follows afterwards. The Galra return to where they came from after a few minutes.

"That could've been us." Pidge says as she lets out the breath she'd been holding. "Good thing I remembered about the steam patches, or we'd literally be toast!"

"That could still be us if we don't hurry. Come on."

Lance continues to advance the building, leading the way.

"Looks like someone's taking back control." Pidge smirks as she follows after him.

They finally made it. The side of the building was made out of metal secured by bolts and screws. Pidge activates her bayard and works through the side of a panel, taking it out so they could crawl in.

They enter the building.

 

-

"I'm going to get some water packs for everyone. Be right back." Shiro says as he steps away from behind Coran and Hunk.

"I can come help you" Allura steps forward, but Shiro waves a dismissive hand and a smile on his face.

"It's okay, Princess. I think I can carry five packs of water by myself. I'll be quick."

She sighs as she watch him leave, dread filling her chest of the ideas Shiro might get in the process. 

"Yeah, Princess?" Hunk calls her from his seat. "I don't think the medicine is working. The thing is still multiplying and the molecules from the medicine aren't doing anything."

"Well, time to scratch that off of the list. We'll just wait for it to leave his body. We're going to have to lift his muzzle a bit so he can vomit into a bucket by the time he wakes up." Coran says while stretching his arms above his head.

"Who's gonna do that?" 

"Why, you of course!"

Hunk pales, "Lift?! The muzzle?! With my hands?! From his sharp teeth?!"

"Don't worry, Hunk." Allura pats his back with a smile. "We'll be right here with you as you do it. If Coran would agree, I'd do it myself."

"In which, I do not agree, not even the slightest."

"In which, I know, Coran. There's nothing that you'd -"

She freezes.

"Uhh, Princess?" Hunk asks, suddenly nervous.

Her nerves shakes her whole being as she listens to the familiar voices through the comms by her earrings, making a cold bead of sweat roll down from her temple.

"Lance? Pidge? Are you there?" Shiro's voice crosses over the intercoms.

"Holy shit." Pidge mutters in response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure that you know by now that half of what I was saying here doesn't make sense at all and that I clearly made them all up. Except for the part where Coran injects Keith. I looked that up XD 
> 
> I think at some point, I lowkey ship Lance and Pidge but they're just really my brOTP I think.
> 
> Anyway, hopefully you have enjoyed reading this. Thanks for your time and if you can, leave a comment on what you think <3


End file.
